The ACT Victims of Crime commissioner wants significant changes to the way local authorities and support services respond to domestic violence.

Commissioner John Hinchey said more urgent action needed to be taken around family and domestic violence.

"We are not doing enough obviously if these deaths are occurring and they are increasing," he said.

"The rate of deaths of women due to domestic violence is not falling, it is rising against the falling rate of homicide in our country."

"So I think there is a new sense of urgency."

Commissioner Hinchey warned domestic and sexual violence needed to be treated differently to other types of assault because it carried a higher risk.

"It is not just an assault, there are a lot more complex dynamics involved and there are a lot more risks involved," he said.

"We need to be more courageous in our response around domestic violence.

"We need a shake up of the whole way of dealing with domestic violence from the time someone comes to the attention of police, to their release, to parole as to what they have done to be released to parole and the monitoring of them on parole."

He also wants changes to lift the burden of responsibility from ACT victims of domestic and sexual violence to instigate proceedings.

"We could give powers to police to make applications off their own bat," Mr Hinchey said in regard protection orders.

"They have an emergency power for an order for three days, other jurisdictions have shown that police can make orders for a longer duration.

"I would support the court also putting in place a domestic violence order during criminal proceedings after a plea or finding of guilt when it is obvious to everyone that the perpetrator is a risk to the woman and the children in their lives."

Mr Hinchey is also calling for an urgent review of sentencing and responses, particularly for repeat offenders who breach Domestic Violence Orders.

Limited disclosure of domestic violence offenders

There is currently no ACT Domestic Violence Register to list repeat offenders.

"Certainly those men that have a history of domestic violence with multiple partners and breaches of orders are high-risk men," Mr Hinchey said.

"They need to be controlled a lot more than what we are doing currently."

You have no doubt been hearing a lot about the Paris Agreement and know that it pertains to climate change, but are too embarrassed at this stage to ask for an overall explanation of what it's all about.